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Banana – A healthy ingredent

Banana

Food Value:

The banana is of great nutritional value. It has a rare combination of enery value, tissue-building elements, protein, vitamins and minerals. It is a good source of calories being richer in solids and lower in water content than any other fresh fruit. A large banana supplies more than 100 calories. It contains a large amount of easily assimilable sugar, making it a good source of quick energy and an excellent means of recovery from fatigue.The banana constitutes almost a complete balanced diet in combination with milk. It contains a high grade protein, which includes three of the essential amino acids. Banana and milk supplement each other in an ideal manner and provide all the needed nutrients to the body.

Natural Benefits and Curative Properties:

Banana is known for promoting healthy digestion and creating a feeling of youthfulness. They help promote the retention of calcium, phosphorus and nitrogen-all of which then work to build sound and regenerated tissues. Banana also contains invert sugar, which is an aid to youthful growth and metabolism.

Intestinal Disorder:

The banana is used as dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and blandness. It is said to contain an unidentified compound called, perhaps jokingly, ‘vitamin U'(against ulcer). It is the only raw fruit which can be eaten without distress in chronic ulcer cases. It neutralises the over-acidity of the gastric juices and reduces the irritation of the ulcer by coating the lining of the stomach.Ripe bananas are highly beneficial in the treatment of ulcerative colitis, being bland, smooth, easily-digestible and slightly laxative. They relieve acute symptoms and promote the healing process.

Constipation and Diarrhoea:

Bananas are of great value both in constipation and diarrhoea as they normalise colonic functions in the large intestine to absorbe large amounts of water for proper bowel moments. Their usefulness in constipation is due to their richness in pectin, which is water-absorbent and this gives them a bulk producing ability. They also possess the ability to change the bacteria in the intestines-from the harmful type of bacilli to the beneficial acidophyllus bacilli.

Dysentery:

Mashed banana together with little salt is a very valuable remedy for dysentery. A combination of ripe plantain, tamarind and common salt is most effective in this disease. Ripe bananas are also very useful in dysentery of children, but they should be thoroughly mashed and beaten to cream before use in these cases.

Arthritis and Gout:

Bananas are useful in the treatment of arthritis and gout. A diet of bananas only for three or four days is advised in these conditions. The patient can be given to eat eight to nine bananas daily during this period and nothing else.

Anaemia:

Being high in iron content, bananas are beneficial in the treatment of anaemia. They stimulate the production of haemoglobin in the blood.

Allergies:

The fruit is very useful for those who are allergic to certain foods and who suffer in consequence from skin rashes or digestive disorders or asthma. Unlike other protein foods, many of which contain an amino-acid which these persons cannot tolerate and which causes allergy. Bananas contain only benign amino-acids which in most cases are not allergic. The fruit, however, does cause allergic reactions in certain sensitive persons and they should avoid it.

Kidney Disorders:

Bananas are valuable in kidney disorder because of their low protein and salt content and high carbohydrate content. They are useful in uraemia, a toxic condition of the blood due to kidney congestion and dysfunction. In such cases, a diet of bananas should only be taken for three to four days, consuming eight to nine bananas a day. This diet is suitable for all kidney troubles, including nepthritis.

Tuberculosis:

Bananas are considered useful in the treatment of tuberculosis. According to Dr.J.Montelvz of Brazil, South America, The juice of the plantain or the ordinary cooked bananas works miracles in the cure of tuberculosis. He claims to have cured patients with advanced stage of tuberculosis with frequent cough, abundant expectoration or phlegm and high fever in two months by this treatment.

Urinary Disorders:

Juice from banana stem is a well-known remedy for urinary disorders. It improves the functional efficiency of kidney and liver thereby alleviating the discomforts and diseased condition in them. It clears the excretionory organs in the abdominal region of toxins and helps to eliminate them in the form of urine. It has been found to be of great help in the treatment for the removal of stones in the kidney, gall bladder and prostate. It is advisable to mix this juice whenever possible with the juice of ash pumpkin.

Over-weight:

A diet consisting of bananas and skimmed milk is considered an effective remedy for weight reduction. The daily diet is restricted to six bananas and four glasses of skimmed milk or buttermilk made from skimmed milk for a period of 10 to 15 days. Thereafter green vegetables may be introduced gradually, reducing the intake of bananas from six to four. This can be continued till the desired results are achieved. Bananas are suitable overweight people as they contain practically no sodium.

Menstrual Disorders:

Cooked banana flower eaten with curd is considered an effective medicine for menstural disorders like painful menstruation and excessive bleeding. Banana flower helps increase progestrone hormone which reduces the bleeding.

Burns and Wounds:

A plaster is prepared by beating a ripe banana into a fine paste. It can be spread over burns and wounds and supported by a cloth bandage. It gives immediate relief. The young tender leaves of banana tree form a cool dressing for inflammations and blisters.

Precautions:

Banana must be thoroughly ripe as otherwise it may be difficult to digest. The raw bananas contain 2- to 25 per cent starch. But during the process of ripening, this starch is almost wholly converted with assimilable sugar.Bananas should never be kept in a refrigerator as low temperature prevents their ripening. The fruit should not be taken by those who are suffering from kidney failure because of its high potassium content.